The need of Jehovah's blessing; restoring work

I have long hesitated, in reading Psalm 85, whether the first
part referred to external deliverance and the grace shown in it,
and the following to the causing the people to enter into the
enjoyment of it by the restoration of their own souls; or, as we
have seen is often the case, the statement of the great result as
the theme of the psalm, and then going through the sorrows of the
remnant and divine workings which led to this result. There will be
a restoring work in the souls of the people after their outward
deliverance. Nor do I now speak of this psalm with very great
certainty on this point. On the whole, I am disposed to think that
they look for their enjoyment of divine favour in it, as between
themselves and God, when delivered from all their enemies, and
shown to be forgiven by that deliverance. Thus the first three
verses lay this ground, that God has been favourable to His land,
and brought back the captivity of Jacob. This was the great public
truth. But in verse 4 the restored people have need of other
blessing in the reality of their own relationship with God. "Turn
us, O God of our salvation." Jehovah was the God of their
salvation; but they needed His blessing in the midst of the
land. They would that His people should rejoice in Him. How true
this is often of the soul which knows forgiveness! It looks for
Jehovah's mercy and salvation, being thus restored to Him, and
listens to know what Elohim Jehovah will speak; for they reckon on
mercy. He will speak peace to His people their public character and
to His saints the remnant who are to enjoy it. Faith has then the
certainty in every way that His salvation is nigh them that fear
Him, that the glory of Jehovah may dwell in the land.

Mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, the divine principles
of establishment of blessing

The last verses celebrate, in remarkable terms, the divine
principles on which their blessings are then established. God's
mercy and truth had now met. His promises, always true, had now
been fulfilled by mercy. It is to be remarked that in the psalms
mercy always precedes righteousness and truth. For Israel had
forfeited all title to promise in rejecting the Lord had come under
full guilt had no righteousness on which to lean had been concluded
in unbelief, that they also might be objects of mere mercy. But
then through Christ's work these promises would now be fulfilled,
and mercy and truth met. But more than this. Jehovah was their
righteousness, through grace; and hence that righteousness was
peace for them; and that which in judgment would have been their
ruin, was in grace their peace righteousness and peace kissed each
other. I need hardly say how true these great principles are for
any sinner for yet better and heavenly blessings; here they are
applied to earthly ones. Truth shall spring out of the earth (that
is, the full fruit and effect of God's truth and faithfulness shall
be manifest in blessings, full blessings, on the earth). But it was
not by a righteousness that man had wrought legally here
below. Righteousness looked down from heaven. It was God's
righteousness, Jehovah their righteousness. But this made it
stable. Jehovah gives that which is good, and the land is
blessed. Righteousness traces the path of blessing for Jehovah and
Himself in the land His own no doubt. Still His rule shall be so
characterised. A king shall reign in righteousness" no more
oppression. Justice is no longer fallen in the streets, as Isaiah
59: 14 speaks; judgment is returned to it, and the government has
this character. "And the fruit of righteousness shall be peace, and
the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." This
last, indeed, is practical; but it is the result of righteousness
having looked down from heaven, yea, of its being established on
the earth (compare Psalm 72: 1-7, where this state is described).